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How to Drink Bourbon: A Beginner’s Guide

Do you want to love bourbon, but aren’t sure where to start? This Beginner’s Guide will help you learn How to Drink Bourbon!

When it comes to the world of liquor, it’s no secret that I have a favorite. One tipple passes my lips, flavors my food, and warms my heart with a “Kentucky hug” more than any other– Bourbon. Whether you’re a lifelong bourbon fan, or are just getting started– this guide on How to Drink Bourbon is here to help you along your way!

First, we’ll look at a few bourbon basics, then we’ll talk about how to taste bourbon, and of course– there will be bourbon recipes!

Bourbon vs. Whiskey: What Is Bourbon? What Is Whiskey?

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage made by distilling a fermented grain mash. The grains can include barley, corn, rye, and wheat– and whiskey may contain additives and flavorings.

Fun Fact: Whiskey can be spelled with or without the e. Traditionally, whiskey is the American spelling, and whisky is the Scottish spelling– but you’ll find the terms used interchangeably.

Kentucky Bourbon Coffee

This Kentucky Bourbon Coffee is a Southern take on an Irish coffee, and is the perfect drink to keep you warm on chilly days. This caffeinated cocktail is made with freshly-brewed coffee, coffee liqueur, bourbon, and cream.

Kentucky Legend: When you drive through the Kentucky countryside, you’ll see lots and lots of black barns.

Why black?

The bourbon distilling process leaves a black residue on nearby trees and buildings.

Legend has it that during Prohibition, the locals would paint their barns black to help keep their stills hidden!

How to Read Bourbon Labels

Bourbon labels can get a little– a lot— complicated and confusing.

Here are a few labels to look out for while you’re shopping:

Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey: This means that instead of blending multiple barrels together to get a standardized flavor, this bourbon is from a single barrel. These bottles tend to cost more than blended bottles.

Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey: This term appears on a lot of bottles, and means that only a small number of bourbon barrels were mixed together. However, it isn’t actually a regulated term.

Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Bourbon whiskey aged at least 2 years. It may be mixed together from multiple barrels or bourbon recipes.

How to Drink Bourbon: Start By Looking at the Bourbon

Once you’ve picked a bourbon (or two) to taste, pour some into a glass. Before you take a sip, look at the bourbon. Swirl it around the glass. Smell it. Hold the glass up to the light, and look for the following:

Color: Bourbon ranges from light and golden to dark and caramel. The darker the bourbon, the older it is.

Legs: As you swirl the bourbon, look to see if it coats the glass. Some bourbon will have legs that cling to the glass, and some won’t.

Smell: Open your mouth and place it directly over the glass. Then, breathe in with your mouth (and not your nose). This will let you smell and taste without your nose being overwhelmed by the alcohol scent. Breathe in– does the bourbon smells sweet, peppery, or especially spicy?

Bourbon Sour with Lavender

This Bourbon Sour with Lavender is a sweet spring cocktail! Mix one up in no time with lavender simple syrup, lemon juice (or Meyer lemon juice), and bourbon.

Thanks for sharing all your bourbon wisdom! I love bourbon but I’ve been wanting to expand my horizons and try new and better ones!
Does this also mean that the honey bourbon that I have isn’t really bourbon, if you’re not allowed to add flavourings to it?

That was a fun read!! If I had told my 20-year-old self, or even my 30-year-old self I’d be enjoying bourbon, I would have laughed heartily in my own face. Fast forward many years and I’m enjoying bourbon like there is no tomorrow! Your drinks are beautiful and I am going to make a few of them this weekend!

I’m loving this! I’ve always been a scotch fan and I’ve recently started experimenting with bourbon more and more, so this is well-timed. Thanks for all the basics, facts, and cocktails to work with! It definitely makes me want to go out and pick up a new bottle (or four) of bourbon to experiment with. Oh, and I loved the bit about the black barns! I did not know that! Cheers!